Though everyone—regardless of age and gender—needs a healthful diet for health and well-being, there are particular areas to consider in terms of women’s health.
As women transition into later stages of life, there are a dizzying number of diet options available. However, not all of them are healthy for them.
Many women after 50 look for diets to help control their menopause symptoms, support their brain and heart function, and generally improve their overall health.
The diet plans in this article were selected based on the following criteria:
Nutritionally balanced. The diets presented in this article are nutritionally balanced, which means you’ll get plenty of protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients, as well as quality carbs.
Not too restrictive. You need not exclude a lot of food groups from your eating plan.
Evidence-based. Their health benefits are backed by scientific studies.
Easy to follow. The diets presented here don’t require supplements.
Adaptable. You can easily make changes based on your personal and nutritional requirements.
So here are the 8 best diets for women after 50.
1. The DASH Diet
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is known to be beneficial for heart health. It is actually designed to treat and prevent high blood pressure or hypertension, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
One of the leading causes of death for women aged 50 and above is heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention.
After the onset of menopause, the rates of high blood pressure also increase.
The DASH diet involves low sodium content and high magnesium, calcium, and potassium content, which may help lower blood pressure.
Note that sodium limitations vary from person to person: some may need to limit their sodium intake to as low as 1,500 mg per day, while others limit to no more than 2,300 mg.
It encourages eating mostly fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy, as well as moderate amounts of fish, poultry, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Although generally discouraged, red meat and sweets are allowed occasionally, while processed or cured meats are totally restricted.
Focusing more on nutrient-dense, whole foods and limiting salty, highly processed foods provides additional benefits, including better blood sugar management and reduced cholesterol.
2. The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is the best all-around diet. It is in fact considered one of the healthiest eating plans for almost everyone.
Characterized by its low saturated fat content, the Mediterranean diet features olive oil as the primary source of added fat. It also advocates eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts.
Although it is mostly plant-based, it also allows fish and dairy in moderation, as well as red meat, poultry, and eggs in small quantities.
This diet has been demonstrated in research to lower your risk of chronic, age-related diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and mental decline.
Its flexibility makes this diet stand out from many other popular diets. No food groups are restricted—even red wine and treats can be consumed sparingly.
3. The MIND Diet
The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is beneficial for brain health. This diet basically combines the elements of the DASH and the Mediterranean diets that support brain health. It was essentially developed to reduce the risk of age-related mental decline like Alzheimer's disease.
The primary risk factors for dementia include not only age but also sex. In fact, about two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s disease are women.
The MIND diet has been found in several studies to decrease dementia risk. People who followed the diet experienced the greatest reduced risk, while those who moderately adhered to the diet still experienced a slower rate of mental decline.
It emphasizes eating foods like fatty fish, leafy greens, whole grains, beans, berries, and olive oil, while red meat, cheese, butter, sweets, and fried foods are discouraged.
4. The Flexitarian Diet
The flexitarian diet is probably the best plant-based diet. It is a semi-vegetarian plan that includes mostly plant-based but also allows fish, meat, eggs, and dairy occasionally.
It is perfect for women trying to reduce their meat intake for health, environmental, and animal welfare reasons. It is also a great option for those looking to boost their plant protein and fiber intake, as well as those who also appreciate the nutritional value of animal products and eat them when necessary.
Strict vegans and vegetarians have been suggested in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health to have a greater risk of insufficient intake of nutrients important for women’s health, such as omega-3 fats and iron.
Fortunately, the Flexitarian diet gives more omega-3s and iron from foods like fish and red meat, as well as calcium, which is a nutrient essential for preserving bone health in postmenopausal women.
What’s more, this eating pattern has been suggested in early research to provide additional benefits for diabetes prevention, heart health, and body weight.
5. Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating is an anti-diet program that is perfect for women who are tired of dieting. This was created by dietitians who believe that long-term diets may lead to psychological and physical harm.
Long-term restrictive diets may cause various adverse effects, including disordered eating, rebound weight gain, bone loss, and reduced quality of life.
Intuitive eating is intended to build a positive relationship with the foods you eat, as well as your body, and improve your diet mentality.
It encompasses 10 foundational principles based on concepts, such as honoring your hunger, honoring your health, rejecting your diet mentality, making peace with food, feeling your fullness, discovering the satisfaction factor, and challenging the food police.
It helps you become independent of any diet to improve yourself physically or mentally. It does not ban any foods or implement rules as to the meal timing or portion sizes. It is more on listening to your body’s natural hunger and fullness prompts.
Intuitive eating has been shown in a recent study to be associated with a reduced risk of disordered eating and an improved psychological health.
In addition, people following this eating pattern has been suggested in additional research to be more likely to maintain a healthy weight.
6. Low-Carb and Ketogenic Diets
Numerous studies have shown that reducing your intake of carbs can cause improved weight and fat loss.
However, too little carb intake can cause some adverse effects, including bad breath, headache, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue.
Limiting intake of carb-rich refined foods, such as white rice, white bread, sweets, and sugary drinks, can be a great weight loss strategy for women after 50.
To prevent any negative side effects that may stem from very low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet, which involves consuming just 5% of your total calories from carbs, make sure you consume at least the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for carbohydrates, which is 130 grams for adult women per day.
Opt for fiber-rich carbs, such as starchy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes.
7. Low-Fat Diets
Low-fat diets have been shown in studies to be as effective as low-carb diets when it comes to weight management and fat loss.
However, following a very low-fat diet is discouraged, as the body needs dietary fat to feel full, maximize brain and heart health and, of course, function properly.
Additionally, adults are recommended by the Institute of Medicine to get 20–35% of their daily calories from dietary fat.
Fat harbors 9 calories per gram, so if your goal is to lose weight through a 1,200-calorie meal plan, make sure you consume 26–47 grams of fat every day—don’t go lower than that.
Healthy fat food sources include fatty fish, fish oil, avocados, oils, seeds, nuts, nut butters, and olives.
8. Well-Balanced Low-Calorie Diets
A well-balanced low-calorie diet is probably the best diet for women after 50. Depending on the level of physical activity, a menu containing 1,200 to 1,500 calories daily is ideal.
Well-balanced means incorporating chicken, seafood, fish, eggs, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, plant milks or dairy foods, oils, and other healthy fats in your meals.
Choosing the best diets for women after 50
The best diet for everyone, including women after 50, is the one that they can maintain in the long term, but it depends from person to person.
The best diet should involve foods that provide all the nutrients you need, help you feel your best, and of course you enjoy.
Make sure to consider your nutritional needs and personal goals when choosing the best diet for you.
If you’re after a healthier, more balanced diet, try either the Flexitarian or the Mediterranean diet. If you’re looking to lower your blood pressure level, try the DASH diet. If you’re into a healthy relationship with food and self-care, opt for intuitive eating.
Apparently, all the abovementioned diets emphasize minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods—foods that are loaded with healthy fats, fiber, lean protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
If you’re a woman aged 50 and above, you have to pay special attention to your intake of certain nutrients, including protein, B vitamins, vitamin D, and calcium. Supplements or dietary adjustments may be warranted if you are not getting the recommended amounts for these nutrients.
Take note that you need not make extreme changes to your diet to experience significant health benefits. Small, incremental steps can still make an impact.
If you’re looking to make major changes to your diet or take any supplements for your nutritional needs, make sure you speak with a healthcare provider first.
Conclusion
There exist several types of diets.
Adults, especially women after 50, tend to have difficulty identifying the best diet for them, as they are also experiencing physical changes that come with aging.
The abovementioned diets, such as the MIND, DASH, Mediterranean, Flexitarian, low-fat, and low-carb and ketogenic diets, as well as intuitive eating, offer a variety of benefits for the brain, heart, weight management, and overall health.
Thoughtful consideration of your nutritional needs and personal goals is necessary when choosing the diet that’s right and best for you. Choose the one that is sustainable and keeps you feeling your best.
